Page 82 of Draekora

“I’m starving,” he explained. “I’m meeting Niyx atDe Talenand between you and me, I’d much prefer your added company.” He winked at her and she forced herself to dredge up a smile, despite the ice still flooding her veins.

“I’m not sure…” she said, looking at the books laid on the table and hoping they would provide an excuse to avoid spending time with him. What she really needed was to get her thoughts in line and come to grips with just how badly she might be responsible for future Aven’s deplorable actions.

“I won’t take no for an answer,” he said, his dark mood all but gone in the face of his renewed cheerfulness. “You look like you’re in desperate need of a break.”

Alex didn’t doubt it. In fact, she felt so lightheaded that she wondered if she just might pass out.

“I—”

“And I’ll make you a deal,” Aven interrupted, cutting off her next attempt at a refusal. He picked up another heavy book from the pile, one of the ancient history texts she’d collected. “I’m guessing you pulled this out for a reason?”

She hesitantly nodded, unsure what he was getting at.

“Well, here’s something you don’t know about me.” He leaned down to whisper, as if it were a secret, “I’mobsessedwith history. I’ve read every book in this library on the subject. So I’ll tell you what; if you come out to lunch with us for a little while, take a break from all this research, then I’ll come back with you afterwards and answer any questions you have. That’ll save you poring through book after book to find whatever you’re looking for. Sound good?”

Judging by his expression, there was no way Aven was going to accept an excuse. He actuallywantedto spend time with her, as mental as that was. So she might as well take advantage of his offer.

“I suppose I could have a short break,” Alex said, shoving aside all thoughts of forbidden rituals as she stood to her feet. “But I’ll warn you, I expect some quality answers when we get back here.”

“You have my word,” Aven said, his voice lowering to finish, “I’ll be all yours.”

Twenty-Five

Hours later, Alex was back in thelibrary on her own again. True to Aven’s word, after a casual and admittedly fun lunch with both him and Niyx, the prince had returned Alex to the palace and spent the afternoon answering her questions. For the most part, she had been curious to finally learn something about the reference she’d heard only in passing—Tia Auras.

Unfortunately, despite Aven’s vast knowledge of history, he wasn’t able to help her much because there was very little he knew himself regarding the world from which his people had originated.

Alex had found that difficult to believe at first, certain the Meyarins would have a long account of how they had arrived in Medora—and why. But Aven’s frustration was clear when he admitted to wishing he knew more. Apparently all records dating back to when his race was banished from Tia Auras were shared by word of mouth only and held as closely guarded secrets known only to the most ancient of Meyarins.

Both fascinated and disappointed, Alex still managed to learn at least a few things from Aven. Like how the Meyarins referenced the ‘stars’ and ‘light’ as verbal exclamations because, while they didn’t hold to a higher religious belief per se, they acknowledged the supreme power of light and its ability to break through darkness. Even after Aven’s explanation, Alex wasn’t entirely sure if he’d been speaking figuratively or not.

She was also surprised to learn that the Library—Soraya de lah Torra—was built by the Tia Aurans. Or perhaps, like the Meyarins, it was originally from Tia Auras. Aven was a tad sketchy on which version was true, again claiming his otherworldly history to be limited. But either way, the Library of Legend was also known by a second name in the lyrical language of the Tia Aurans:Tu’eh L’randae ess Relana. Aven translated it to mean ‘The Cascade of Light’, but thanks to Xiraxus, who apparently spoke fluent Tia Auran, Alex internally corrected the name to actually mean, ‘The Fountain of Life’. Regardless of which was more accurate, neither made sense to Alex since the Library wasn’t a flowing source of water, lightorlife. Even the Tia Aurans’ first name for it—‘The Light of the Worlds’—didn’t fit. But hey, who was she to judge? So long as the Library continued being a library and didn’t suddenly up and transform into a river, she was okay calling it whatever they wanted.

The last thing Aven was able to provide any information on was A’enara. Again, his knowledge was annoyingly limited, telling her much the same as Roka; that the blade was wrought by the Tia Aurans and known by many different titles. He also theorised that when it disappeared from sight, it most likely vanished into theabrassa, biding its time until it was called back from the Void. What he couldn’t tell her washowthat actually worked, or why it was bound to her to begin with. Nor was he able to explain how it could change size at will.

As for its new fiery development, Aven presumed, like Roka, that it was linked to hervaelianawith Xiraxus. When he asked to hold A’enara to see if he was right, Alex nearly broke out in hives, but she couldn’t exactly say, ‘No way, José!’ and run madly out of the room. So she cautiously passed the pommel over to him by the tips of her fingers, careful not to let the flames burn him. The moment he held it in his hands, the fire disappeared… but A’enara didn’t. Nervous for a number of reasons, Alex made up some joking speech about him stealing candy from a baby and laughingly asked for her ‘pretty sword’ back. He just grinned at her and did as she requested, causing her to twitch with relief the moment the blade was back in her possession and released once again into the Void.

She still had many questions about A’enara and the Tia Aurans, but she would just have to hope that the future might hold more answers for her. Perhaps if Kaiden had already found out something about the weapon, she could trace the information back to the creators of A’enara and why they banished the Meyarins.

It was a long shot, but there were clearly no more answers for her in the past, none easily open to her, anyway. She could, of course, seek out an ancient Meyarin who remembered Tia Auras, but she feared drawing too much attention to herself and thought it best to discourage further unwanted scrutiny.

Regardless of her decision to stop researching the otherworlders, after following Aven to dinner where they had a quiet meal alone with Astophe and Niida, Alex retreated to the library again, deciding that it couldn’t hurt to take advantage of all that knowledge while she could. Aven offered an apology, saying he had to be elsewhere—and she knew by his meaningful glance he was off to meet with moreGarseth.

Alex was deep in the middle of reading about the past recorded instances of known draekon bondings—none of which had occurred in over a thousand years, none enacted with anyone other than an immortal and none of whom were still alive today—when, just as she was turning the page, a hand came down on her shoulder.

Letting out a girlish squeal of fright, Alex reacted on instinct and flew back from her chair, hissing in pain when her fingers slid along the edge of the page as she jumped to her feet.

“Sorry, Aeylia,” Roka said, laughing as he held his hands up in apology. “I didn’t realise you were so out of it.”

“Jeez, Roka!” Alex said, her adrenaline spiked. “Make some noise next time!”

She shook her stinging hand through the air and, noticing her reaction, he asked, “Are you all right?”

“It’s just a paper cut,” she replied, distracted by trying to convince her nerves to settle again from her fright. “It sounds lame, but they hurt worse than stab wounds sometimes.”

“I truly didn’t mean to scare you,” Roka said, full of contrition. “Let me see the damage.”

“Really, I’m just being a wuss,” she said, turning her finger around. “See? It’s barely a scratch. Just stings like hell.”

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